How is broadband speed controlled?
How is broadband speed controlled?
Author
Discussion

L.F

Original Poster:

1 posts

257 months

Wednesday 25th May 2005
quotequote all
My router reports a downstream connection speed of 2,272kbps (= 2meg). However, I have only paid for a 512k connection and download speed checks confirm this as they come out at about 500k.

My question is, who actually controls the connection speed and how is it done, because it seems as if my line is actually enabled at 2meg at the exchange.

zumbruk

7,848 posts

290 months

Wednesday 25th May 2005
quotequote all
Well, I was about to say "Have a Google for 'bandwidth uncapping'" which tells you all about how the cable companies restrict bandwidth at the router, and then you said "exchange", so I guess you're on ADSL...

In which case, dunno.

anonymous-user

84 months

Wednesday 25th May 2005
quotequote all
It's most likely a bandwidth cap on a firewall at some point upstream.

If you want to know technically how it's done, have a google for bandwidth capping or profiling with ipchains or iptables (two Linux firewalls). It's really quite impressive how sophisticated you can get with it if you want to.

Stu247

815 posts

276 months

Thursday 26th May 2005
quotequote all
BT are going through a regrading exercise at the moment, upgrading all adsl enabled lines to the maximum supportable speed, 2 meg in most cases (dependant on line quality / distance from exchange etc.)

If you are only paying for 512 or 1 Meg, the line is throttled back by the ISP on their network elements, not by BT at the exchange.